Koch Brothers vs. Health Reform

Conservative activists will rally at the Supreme Court tomorrow to encourage the overturn of the Affordable Care Act. The â€śHands Off My Health Careâ€ť protestâ€”which will feature the likes of Rep. Michelle Bachmann and Sens. Jim DeMint and Rand Paulâ€”is being organized by Americans for Prosperity, a right-wing group financed by industrialists Charles and David Koch. The billionaire brothers provided the seed money to get this organization off the ground and have donated at least $5 million overall (possibly a lot more) to its operations. David Koch still serves as the groupâ€™s chairman.

These facts belie the image that Americans for Prosperity would like to present as a humble grassroots organization. The stories we see today about regular Americans coming to D.C. to protest evil health reform are directly attributable to the corporate interests that the Koch brothers represent.

Yet the Kochsâ€™ impact on the current court battle doesnâ€™t end there. Group after group participating in the lawsuit to destroy the Affordable Care Act is a beneficiary of the Koch brothersâ€™ largessâ€”reflecting the outsized influence that these guys wield in our political debate. Indeed, one wonders whether this effort would be happening at all if not for these two billionaires with a direct interest in avoiding government regulation.

One of the most important groups in this case is the National Federation of Independent Business, which is bringing one of the lawsuits now before the Supreme Court. This group has received $88,000 from the Claude R. Lambe Charitable Foundation, which is controlled by none other than Charles Koch.

Several organizations that have filed amicus briefs with the Supreme Court have received substantial donations from the Koch family as well. These groups include:

In addition, a Court-appointed attorney used a study by the Rand Corporation to show the impact of the individual mandate in the health care billâ€”even though Rand has received$100,000 from none other than the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation.

Given this set of facts, the sheer reach of the Koch brothers in the movement to overturn health care reform is staggering. They have seeded and cultivated the very network of organizations thatâ€™s now threatening to undo the most significant progressive reform in a generation. As shown in Brave New Foundationâ€™s new film, Koch Brothers Exposed, Charles and David Koch are, in effect, holding up the conservative sky.

So this week as we watch the rallies and press conferences and legal wranglingâ€”not to mention the media pundits lavishing attention to the hubbubâ€”letâ€™s remember that this spectacle is not the result of some organic, grassroots outpouring of opposition to the idea that all Americans should have health insurance. Itâ€™s rooted in concentrated wealth belonging to men aiming to bend our democracy to their will.

Koch Brothers vs. Health Reform

Conservative activists will rally at the Supreme Court tomorrow to encourage the overturn of the Affordable Care Act. The â€śHands Off My Health Careâ€ť protestâ€”which will feature the likes of Rep. Michelle Bachmann and Sens. Jim DeMint and Rand Paulâ€”is being organized by Americans for Prosperity, a right-wing group financed by industrialists Charles and David Koch. The billionaire brothers provided the seed money to get this organization off the ground and have donated at least $5 million overall (possibly a lot more) to its operations. David Koch still serves as the groupâ€™s chairman.

These facts belie the image that Americans for Prosperity would like to present as a humble grassroots organization. The stories we see today about regular Americans coming to D.C. to protest evil health reform are directly attributable to the corporate interests that the Koch brothers represent.

Yet the Kochsâ€™ impact on the current court battle doesnâ€™t end there. Group after group participating in the lawsuit to destroy the Affordable Care Act is a beneficiary of the Koch brothersâ€™ largessâ€”reflecting the outsized influence that these guys wield in our political debate. Indeed, one wonders whether this effort would be happening at all if not for these two billionaires with a direct interest in avoiding government regulation.

One of the most important groups in this case is the National Federation of Independent Business, which is bringing one of the lawsuits now before the Supreme Court. This group has received $88,000 from the Claude R. Lambe Charitable Foundation, which is controlled by none other than Charles Koch.

Several organizations that have filed amicus briefs with the Supreme Court have received substantial donations from the Koch family as well. These groups include:

In addition, a Court-appointed attorney used a study by the Rand Corporation to show the impact of the individual mandate in the health care billâ€”even though Rand has received$100,000 from none other than the Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation.

Given this set of facts, the sheer reach of the Koch brothers in the movement to overturn health care reform is staggering. They have seeded and cultivated the very network of organizations thatâ€™s now threatening to undo the most significant progressive reform in a generation. As shown in Brave New Foundationâ€™s new film, Koch Brothers Exposed, Charles and David Koch are, in effect, holding up the conservative sky.

So this week as we watch the rallies and press conferences and legal wranglingâ€”not to mention the media pundits lavishing attention to the hubbubâ€”letâ€™s remember that this spectacle is not the result of some organic, grassroots outpouring of opposition to the idea that all Americans should have health insurance. Itâ€™s rooted in concentrated wealth belonging to men aiming to bend our democracy to their will.